Tenth Week of Ordinary Time
10th June 2024 (Monday)
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: 1 Kings 17:1-6
In those days: Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastwards and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (R. see 2)
R/. Our help shall come from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel : Matthew 5:1-12
At that time: Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Monday – Tenth Week of Ordinary Time
Guidelines: We are destined for blessedness and the only way to obtain such bliss is to follow the way of the Lord. A life of happiness is a way of godliness and goodness
1. In today’s gospel, we have the famous Sermon on the Mount of Jesus with the solemn Beatitudes. They are beatitudes because their end is bliss and happiness. They are the confirmed means to attain such bliss.
2. They are not merely some religious teaching or spiritual doctrine but they are fundamental human principles to follow. They are not only some guidelines to apply or some useful ways of doing, but much more essential modes of being.
3. They are in fact a total contrast to the standards and ways of the world. They are considered as “devalues”, “inabilities” and “inadequacies” in the sight of the world. So, certainly, they are a “difficult lot” to follow.
4. But they alone are the royal and noble means to be happy and blessed: be poor – humble of spirit, be sensitive to others’ pain, be patient during suffering, be gentle, be meek, be merciful, be guileless and pure of heart, be peace-loving and peace-promoting, be hungry and thirsty for good and righteousness, be loyal, persevering and committed to God.
5. Follow this mode of being and surely you will experience a bliss that is profound, authentic and lasting. In the first reading, Elijah lived this “blessed” mode of being a man, a prophet of God, obeying God’s voice and doing His will. That is why he was fed miraculously and later became a blessing of abundance for the widow of Zarephath. “The jar of flour was not spent and the jug of oil did not become empty”.
Practice: True happiness is not the absence of suffering. It does not come from mere avoidance and escape from affliction. Rather, true happiness comes from standing and suffering for God and good, through the path of beatitudes
